


when the day is done

by jaspell



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Cuddling, F/M, Mutual Pining, Nightmares, Widobrave Week, general warning: at one point caleb calls her nott because he's half asleep, keen mind can only get you so far
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:14:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23364520
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaspell/pseuds/jaspell
Summary: a very self indulgent fic about veth waking up from a nightmare and seeking out caleb for comfortfor widobrave week day 5: pining
Relationships: Nott & Caleb Widogast, Nott/Caleb Widogast, Veth Brenatto & Caleb Widogast, Veth Brenatto/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 6
Kudos: 108





	when the day is done

**Author's Note:**

> title from 'us ones in between' by sunset rubdown

Veth hesitates in the doorway to Caleb’s room on the middle deck. It would be silent except for her heartbeat and the slow, dull shuddering creaks of the wood around her. She shivers and curls in on herself, picturing the miles of dark ocean surrounding the ship. It’s stuffy down here. Smells like black powder and damp and seasalt. Not fresh at all.

The only other thing she can hear is Caleb’s breathing. It takes her new eyes a moment to see him, though she knows exactly the position he’ll be in: awkward-looking and stiff on his side, arms folded. Taking a step into the room, she can make out his slack face, still deeply asleep; the alarm spell didn’t go off. What’s odd is that his hair is down, and Veth can see one lock of it stirring with his breath.

She doesn’t know how long she’s watching but the panic in her chest doesn’t loosen. She eases the door shut behind her without a sound.

Caleb is pulled out of sleep by a hand on his shoulder. He hears his name.

“W-was - what is-? Oh, Veth.”

“Sorry to wake you,” She whispers.

“No, no, is everything ok?” He begins to hoist himself up on an elbow, making the bed frame creak, but her hand presses him back down. There’s a thump from next door, then a light groan - Beauregard.

“Y-yes, everything’s fine,” She says softly. Her voice wobbles, and he can’t tell whether she’s hoarse from tiredness, or something different. They both wait for Beau to settle down in the next room, then she continues: “I just um, I couldn’t sleep very well and I was wondering,”

There’s a pause as his drowsy brain processes her words. “Oh,” He feels something in his chest warm. “Ja, no of course,”

He moves back towards the wall to give her space, though she still doesn’t need much. She climbs in and nestles up to him, with only a hint of the awkwardness which has come into being these last few months. She fidgets with her nightgown and takes a while to get comfy - thankful, briefly, not to see his face.

She wraps an arm around his torso, the other bundled against her chest, and he pulls the blanket up to cover them both, his arm coming to rest around her back. One of her ankles ends up hooked around his thigh.

“You are ah, warmer than before, I think,” he notes.

“Before the spell? Yes, maybe.”

“Many things to adjust to,” he says. “I am curious, do you _feel_ warmer or, is it different at all?”

“I dunno,” she mumbles. “Not so much me, but things like the wind are cooler, and other people don’t feel so warm anymore. Caleb,” she closes her eyes in defeat. “I had a nightmare,”

“Mmm?”

“I don’t think I…” she shakes her head. “I don’t think I wanna talk about it, just… I-I think it’s being on the water, you know,”

“Mm, I know,” he lightly strokes the back of her head.

She wants to say more, wants _him_ to say more, but she doesn’t know what. Wishes he’d magically make the pictures from her dream go away. The nein looking back at her coldly, confused and impatient. Her Caleb with the rest of them. _Stupid idiots._ She thinks. _Wouldn’t last a day without me._ Water trickling across the floor of a valley and turning into a swell. They’re heading uphill, through it. Panic. Feathers in trees. She had tried to yell, but couldn’t get any sound out of her mouth. _Where are you going?_ Her feet wouldn’t move.

She doesn’t know. Feels his fingers cosseting her hair. What she wants more than anything - she wants to hear him say -

Her hand clenches into a fist at his back and her face crumples.

Caleb hears her sniffling feebly, and it sets off an instinct to soothe that’s stronger than his better judgement. By the time he thinks better of it, he’s planted a kiss on the top of her head, and he’s hooking his chin over it, pulling her closer. He feels wretched for it and his face is burning, but Veth’s shudders do get fainter.

They wait.

She’s very aware of the rise and fall of his chest and minute tremors from his heart. She thinks, though hers is incrementally faster, maybe their heartbeats are syncing up, and then they fall out of time again.

A guilt floods into the back of her mind, though she doesn’t know why.

Sixty seconds go by. Then, one hundred and twenty five. For how quiet Caleb is being, she wonders if he’s fallen asleep.

She leans her forehead against his collarbone and, very quietly, breathes: “I don’t want to lose you,”

“I am not going anywhere, Nott,” he whispers. “Neither are you.”

She tightens her arm around him.

“We’re here,” 


End file.
